Wearable sweat towel and garment

ABSTRACT

A wearable garment including a front panel and an interconnected rear panel. Each of the panels exhibits a substantially rectangular shape and is constructed of an absorbent material, such as terrycloth or the like. Inter-engaging button and snap fasteners are located in spaced apart fashion along opposing and extending side edges associated with the front and rear panels and to conjoin the front and rear panels together. A hood is constructed of a moisture absorbent material and extends from between the front and rear panels, an aperture being defined within the hood such that it covers a head and neck of a wearer of the garment. In an alternate embodiment, the hood is substituted by a substantially “V” shaped aperture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a wearable towel garment.More specifically, the present invention teaches a sweat inducingtraining garment, such as which is wearable by a user underneath awarm-up suit or the like, and which functions to assist in the trainingand conditioning of the athlete.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The provision of sweat towels and related perspiration removal garmentsis known in both sporting event and other miscellaneous exercise relatedindustries. The objective of such towels is to facilitate removal of thesweat buildup and perspiration of the individual.

A further example drawn from the prior art is the wearable garment setforth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,021, issued to Somerville, and which inparticular teaches a moisture absorbing garment for use by athletesduring playing breaks. The garment exhibits a substantially shirt-likeappearance and includes front and rear conjoined panels constructed of amoisture absorbent towel material. The front panel is exhibited as beingsubstantially longer than the rear panel and extends to the thigh of theuser.

A shoulder and upper arm section of like moisture absorbent materialprojects from each side of both the front and rear panels and isgenerally aligned with the joined top side of the front and rear panels.Adjacent sides of the front and rear panels and upper arm sections openand hang free so that the front panel can be readily used as a towel towipe the wearer's face. A central head opening in the garment extendsthrough both the joined front and rear panels adjacent to the headopening. A hood of moisture absorbent towel material is attached to thejoined front and rear panels adjacent to the head opening.

While providing for effective perspiration reduction during play breaks,the wearable garment of Somerville is not suited for use as a traininggarment. In particular, Somerville does not teach a sweat inducing andwearable garment which is particularly capable of being worn underneathother garments, such as warm-up jump suit.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention teaches a wearable and sweat inducing garmentcapable of being worn by a user and which functions both as a sweatremoval and a training garment. The wearable garment includes a frontpanel and an interconnected rear panel. Each of the panels exhibits asubstantially rectangular shape, with a fairly identical overall length,and is constructed of an absorbent material, such as terrycloth or thelike.

Inter-engaging button and snap fasteners are located in spaced apartfashion along opposing and extending side edges associated with thefront and rear panels and are inter-engageably attached to conjoin thefront and rear panels together. It is also envisioned that other typesof fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners, button and holefasteners, and the like, can be incorporated into the present invention.

In a preferred application, the garment exhibits an overall shape andsize such that, when being worn upon the torso and upper body of theuser, the size of the garment permits the wearing of an over-garment,and such as is particularly desirable during training exercises. Thegarment may further be used as a warm-up suit in a further preferredembodiment.

A hood is constructed of a moisture absorbent material and extends frombetween the front and rear panels, an aperture being defined within thehood such that it covers a head and neck of a wearer of the garment. Inan alternate embodiment, the hood is substituted by a substantially “V”shaped aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read incombination with the following detailed description, wherein likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, andin which:

FIG. 1 is an environmental view illustrating the wearable garmentaccording to the present invention and in particular showing theinter-engaging snap portions extending along each of the first andsecond sides of the front and rear panels;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a wearable garment according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention and which in particularillustrates in phantom a pair of hand supporting and inside locatedpockets;

FIG. 3 is a sectional illustration, in perspective, of an inwardlyfacing surface associated with the front panel drawn from the embodimentof FIG. 1 and which illustrates a common and elongated extending insidepocket;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of an outstretched garmentaccording to the hooded preferred embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a likewise perspective illustration of an outstretched garmentaccording to the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a wearable garment is illustrated at 10 accordingto a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. As previouslydiscussed, the present invention provides an improved and sweat-inducingwearable garment, such as in particular which is capable of beingunderneath a training over-garment (see in phantom at 12 in FIG. 1), andto assist in physical and endurance training associated with athletesand other athletically directed participants.

As is also illustrated in the outstretched perspective view of FIG. 3,when viewed in combination with FIG. 1, the wearable garment 10 isprovided as a generally overall rectangular shaped item and which isconstructed of a moisture absorbent material such as terrycloth or thelike. The garment 10, upon being placed upon a wearer 14, see as shownin FIG. 1, includes a front panel 16 and a substantially equal lengthand extending rear panel 18 (see as further illustrated by imaginarydividing line 20 in FIG. 4).

A head and neck receiving aperture 22 (see FIG. 4) is defined along theboundary between the front 16 and rear 18 panels. A hooded portion 24 ofa likewise moisture absorbent material extends from the front and rearpanels, further such that the hood covers a head and neck of a user(again FIG. 1) upon wearing of the garment 10.

Fasteners are located along opposing and extending sides associated withthe front 16 and rear 18 panels and are inter-engageable to conjoin thepanels together as shown in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, thefasteners are provided as snap and button portions 26 and 28 and whichinter-engage to conjoin the panels in the manner again shown in FIG. 1.Without limitation, it is also understood that other types of fastenerscan be employed along the opposing and extending edges of the panels 16and 18, these including hook and loop fasteners, button and holefasteners, and the like.

Each of the front 16 and rear 18 panels include both outwardly andinwardly facing recesses. The front panel 16, in the preferredembodiment of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, in particular further includes anelongate extending pocket 30 defined upon the inwardly facing surface.The pocket 30 in the preferred embodiment is provided as an additionalstrip of terrycloth or like material, and which is sewn (see seams 32and 34 at top and bottom edges of strip) to the facing surface of thefront panel 16.

Opposing side edges of the pocket 30 can be tapered, such as at 36 and38, and in order to facilitate seating of the user's hands, such furtherbeing inserted between the front 16 and rear 18 panels and further suchas shown in the gap 40 illustrated in FIG. 1. It is also envisioned thatthe elongated pocket 30 can be sewn or otherwise secured to the oppositeoutwardly facing surface of the front panel 16. Referring again to FIG.1, it is further envisioned that an indicia, or logo, design 42 can beimprinted upon a selected surface of the garment 10, and such as isshown placed upon the front panel 16 in FIG. 1.

Referring further to FIGS. 2 and 5, a wearable garment is illustrated at44 according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.The garment 44 is largely identical to that illustrated at 10 in theembodiment of FIG. 1, the difference primarily being the shaping of thehead and neck receiving aperture, see as defined by inwardly facingedges 46, 48 and 50 and which define an overall “V” neck shape.

An additional feature particular to the garment 44 is the substitutionof the elongate hand supporting recess by a pair of spaced apart andindividual receiving recess pockets 52 and 54, which are againillustrated as being defined within a corresponding inwardly facingsurface associated with a front panel 56 arrayed opposite a conjoinedand extending rear panel 58. Although not clearly shown, it isunderstood that each pocket is sewn along three sides and in order todefine a substantially “U” shaped enclosure to seat the hands of theuser, such as when running or during other outdoor exercises. As withthe elongated recess 30 described in reference to the first preferredembodiment, the pockets 52 and 54 may also be defined upon the outwardlyfacing surface of the front panel 56.

Having described my invention, other and additional preferredembodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which itpertains and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims. Inparticular, and although not illustrated, it is envisioned that thefront and rear panels in either embodiment can be reshaped as first andsecond panels which fold about a side edge associated with a user andwhich are fastened or otherwise conjoined along a single side edge bybutton and snap fasteners or the like.

1. A wearable garment, comprising: a first panel and an interconnectedsecond panel constructed of an absorbent material; fasteners locatedalong opposing and extending sides associated with said first and secondpanels and being inter-engageable to conjoin said panels together; and ahand supporting recess associated with a selected one of said first andsecond panels.
 2. The wearable garment as described in claim 1, saidfirst panel further comprising a front panel and said second panel arear panel, said inter-engageable fasteners further comprising buttonand snap portions located on opposing edge surfaces of said front andrear panels.
 3. The wearable garment as described in claim 1, furthercomprising said front and rear panels being constructed of a terryclothmaterial.
 4. The wearable garment as described in claim 2, said handsupporting recess further comprising an elongate extending pocketdefined in a selective facing surface of said front panel.
 5. Thewearable garment as described in claim 4, said front panel furthercomprising an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facing surface,said elongate extending pocket being defined upon said inwardly facingsurface.
 6. The wearable garment as described in claim 2, said handsupporting recess further comprising a pair of individual and spacedapart pockets defined in a selective facing surface of said front panel.7. The wearable garment as described in claim 6, said front panelfurther comprising an outwardly facing surface and an inwardly facingsurface, said pair of spaced apart pockets being defined upon saidinwardly facing surface.
 8. The wearable garment as described in claim1, further comprising a hood constructed of a moisture absorbentmaterial and extending from between said first and second panels, saidhood covering a head and neck of a wearer of said garment.
 9. Thewearable garment as described in claim 1, further comprising asubstantially three-dimensional shaped aperture defined along andbetween said interconnected first and second panels.
 10. The wearablegarment as described in claim 9, said aperture having a specified shapeand size and further comprising a substantially “V” shape.
 11. Thewearable garment as described in claim 1, further comprising a logodesign imprinted upon an exterior facing surface of at least one of saidfirst and second panels.
 12. The wearable garment as described in claim1, further comprising said first and second panels having a generallyrectangular shape.
 13. The wearable garment as described in claim 1,said garment exhibiting an overall shape and size when worn upon a torsoand upper body of a user, said garment permitting wearing of a trainingover-garment by said user.
 14. A wearable garment, comprising: a frontpanel and an interconnected rear panel, each of said panels exhibiting asubstantially rectangular shape and being constructed of an absorbentmaterial; inter-engaging button and snap fasteners being located inspaced apart fashion along opposing and extending side edges associatedwith said front and rear panels and being inter-engageable to conjoinsaid front and rear panels together; and a hood constructed of amoisture absorbent material and extending from between said front andrear panels, an aperture defined within said hood such that it covers ahead and neck of a wearer of said garment.
 15. The wearable garment asdescribed in claim 14, further comprising an elongate extending pocketdefined in an inwardly facing surface associated with said front paneland supporting the hands of a user.
 16. The wearable garment asdescribed in claim 15, further comprising said front and rear panelseach exhibiting a substantially identical overall length.
 17. A wearablegarment, comprising: a front panel and an interconnected rear panel,each of said panels exhibiting a substantially rectangular shape andbeing constructed of an absorbent material; inter-engaging button andsnap fasteners being located in spaced apart fashion along opposing andextending side edges associated with said front and rear panels andbeing inter-engageable to conjoin said front and rear panels together;and an aperture having a specified shape and size defined between saidinterconnected front and rear panels and facilitating passagetherethrough of a head and neck of a wearer of said garment.
 18. Thewearable garment as described in claim 17, further comprising a pair ofindividual and spaced apart pockets defined in an inwardly facingsurface associated with said front panel and supporting the hands of auser.
 19. The wearable garment as described in claim 17, furthercomprising said front and rear panels each exhibiting a substantiallyidentical overall length.